The Slum

25 October 2016

In 2012 one in eight of the worlds population lived in slums. According to numbers from the UN, it’s expected that over one billion people will live in slums by 2037. This will make it the fastest grown way of living in urban areas across the world. In this story you meet Tirtha and Sanita, two young people who live in the slum, Buddhamarga Tol, in Nepals kapital Kathmandu. Personal project.

Most of the slum areas in Kathmandu are located along the Bagmati river, which runs through the kapital. Almost every week slums around the city are evicted by the Nepalese government, who wants to use the land for other projects. Buddhamarga Tol has been tried evicted multiple times, but the inhabitants have been able to stop the government in each case.Each morning Tirtha and his friends hang out and smoke water pipe before going to school and work.Sanita is a single mother taking care of her daughter, Sayon. They live together with Sanita's parents in the community.For the last couple of years Tirtha has fed his family through working at a metal shop just a bike ride away from home.Sanita's room also functions as the family's living room. The television is surrounded by her most loved items.Besides looking after her daughter, Sanita is taking afternoon courses to work at a beauty parlour.Being a single man, Tirtha has lived with and taken care of his parents alone, ever since his sister moved out. Tirthas mother has dementia and requires extra care.After a long night of partying, Tirtha lays down in his mates back yard for a rest.Every time there is a wedding in the community, everyone is invited to join the celebration. Sanita dresses up in our national costume, and joins the party.